miss montana, alexis wineman, is going to be the first contestant with autism. >> reporter: she is an incredible woman. she is the first contestant with autism. and the youngest contestant. and she's not letting any of it keep her from her dream. in a competition filled with smiles, struts and sass, the reigning miss montana looks like she fits right in. >> holy crap. i'm going to be on miss america. >> reporter: but fitting in has never been easy for 18-year-old alexis wineman. >> growing up, i was alone a lot. i barely hung out with anyone. and that's because i was afraid of being laughed at. >> reporter: she is the first miss america contestant to be diagnosed with autism, which was discovered when she was just 11 years old. >> i would stay in my room for hours, not wanting to talk to anyone. >> reporter: even though she was considered highly functioning, she said she was ridiculed because of her speech impediment and intense shyness. >> the girl you're seeing right now, is not the same girl you would have seen ten years ago. i've overcome so many of my symptoms. >> reporter: she c